Is governor avoiding Mohawk Valley area?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be making stops in Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, New York City, Long Island and Westchester County this week to deliver his annual State of the State Address.

S. Alexander Gerould @OD_Gerould

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made stops in New York City and Buffalo Monday to deliver his annual State of the State address.

He also plans to give his speech on Long Island, in Westchester County, Albany and Syracuse.

But he won’t be stopping in the Mohawk Valley, something that has raised the ire of some of the region’s politicians.

“I question the governor’s logic in splitting his annual State of the State Address among a handful of locations throughout the state and in choosing the locations he did,” said state Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome. “Whether he’s doing a road show or running away from Albany, I think a better and more fair approach would be to do these speeches all across the state in the 10 specific regions that he has already designated for economic purposes.”

Governors traditionally deliver the address to lawmakers in the state Capitol, but Cuomo's administration said this year's approach is an effort to communicate directly with New Yorkers.

“I think it’s not a coincidence that the governor is avoiding the three areas of the state that have seen the worst economic growth under his watch, which would be the Mohawk valley, the Southern Tier and the North Country,” said state Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica. “It’s typical of a governor who likes to avoid problems and it’s no different than him not coming here after the AMS announcement to reassure the people in this region that he is committed to bringing a company to Marcy.”

Cuomo Spokeswoman Abbey Fashouer said in a statement that, by definition, the governor's regional addresses are designed to communicate directly with citizens and that every region will be "fairly represented in our agenda as we continue to move New York forward."

"For the last six years, the governor has successfully focused on regional development strategies – lifting up communities to drive economic growth and create jobs – and this year is no different,” Fashouer said in the statement.

Lawmakers across the state, however, are skipping Cuomo’s speeches in a sign of the tense relationship between lawmakers and the governor. Top lawmakers such as Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Republican Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, Republican Senate Leader John Flanagan and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins will not attend any of the six addresses.

Locally, Brindisi and Griffo also will not be attending.

“The governor should speak in the largest population centers of each of these regions, instead of leaving one community to wonder if politics played any role in passing them over for another,” Griffo said. “And why not open these speeches to the general public, instead of requiring everyone to register online in advance to determine who can attend.”

State Assemblyman Marc Butler, R-Newport, also said that he wasn't planning on attending the governor's address.

"I kind of think (Cuomo's) poking the Legislature in the eye here a little bit. I think there's a lot going on right now," Butler said. "The other point is, interestingly enough, he is scheduled (Monday) in New York and Buffalo when we're scheduled to be here in session and he's scheduled for Albany on Wednesday when we'll be back home. If I were the cynical kind, I'd almost suggest that the governor's trying to duck the Legislature for whatever reason."

Newly elected Assemblyman Brian Miller, R-New Hartford, however, said that, as a first-year legislator, he would be going the governor's Syracuse address.

"I want to hear what's going on," he said.

When asked if Austria-based AMS’ decision to back out of the Marcy nano site might have played into Cuomo’s decision not to come to the Mohawk Valley, Brindisi said that the governor doesn’t want to face his critics.

“That’s been his track record over the last six years in office,” Brindisi said of Cuomo. “I believe the reason he’s not doing the State of the State in Albany as other governors have done is because he’s afraid of an outburst like what happened last year when he was called out during the speech by a member of the Assembly, and he’s afraid that the Legislature may not show up as some have threatened to do.”

Brindisi said he has had conversations with the governor’s staff about Cuomo coming to the region to talk about AMS’ decision and what the plans are moving forward. The response, Brindisi said, “has not been positive.”

“They haven’t said why,” he said. “They sent (President and CEO of Empire State Development) Howard Zemsky, which I think is great, but to me a leader of a state leads in good times and bad times and you can’t run from problems. It’s not easy for me to speak out against a governor of the same party that I’m in, but I think he’s dead wrong on a number of issues right now and I’m going to speak out wherever I have a disagreement.”

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. said he wouldn't be going to the speech. He said that the governor stopping in the Mohawk Valley would have been a good opportunity for people hear how the state is going to move forward from the AMS decision.

"I'm disappointed that we weren’t even considered, I guess," Picente said. "It's unfortunate. I think it's just a lost opportunity for the governor to talk to the community at this time."

Follow @OD_Gerould on Twitter or call him at 315-792-4995.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.